You have a wide variety of options for self-defense and personal safety. One of the most popular options for non-lethal self-defense is a chemical irritant. Chemical irritants are anything that cause pain to the eyes, make it difficult to breathe, and cause general irritation. The most common form for the everyday person is pepper spray.
Pepper Spray Effects
Pepper spray varies in strength and capability. It has a wide variety of different effects on the victim, and in some cases, the user. These effects include the following:
- Swelling of mucous membranes in the eyes, throat, and nose, which causes pain.
- Coughing and Hacking
- Nasal discharge
- Skin burning
- Drying of the eye, and involuntary closing of the eyes
- Hyperventilation
One of the main downsides to all liquid forms of this chemical irritant is known as the reverse effect. The reverse effect occurs when pepper spray attacks the user instead of the target. This is most commonly caused by the wind blowing. The reverse effect also occurs when the product is used in extremely close quarters.
Many attack situations occur in close contact with the attacker being mere feet or inches from you. When you use the spray on them, you will likely also feel the effects.
There are different kinds of pepper spray. Some very large models have a long, effective range. However, these models are almost impossible to conceal and carry. Your standard 2 ounce can has about 12 feet of range. Pepper spray is a purely defensive weapon. The main challenges when using pepper spray are that you have to be within close range to be effective and react quickly.
Some of the benefits to using pepper spray are that it is very easy to conceal carry. It is small enough to be a key chain in some cases. When you hit someone with it, they go down fast and in pain.
Pepper Spray Gun by Salt Supply Co
Another option for self-defense is the pepper spray gun by SALT Supply company. The difference here is the ability to effectively and accurately engage a target at 150 to 200 feet away. The pepper spray gun is an offensive weapon that allows you to engage targets before they get close enough to harm you.
The gun fires a large solid projectile that explodes on contact. It creates a 4- to 5-foot cloud of irritant and the user has a total of 7 shots per magazine. It uses a simple 12 gram CO2 cartridge to power it for a total of 21 shots.
Each of these pepper spray-filled balls will have the same effects as pepper spray would have. It is going to burn the eyes and the skin, cause pain, make it difficult to breathe, and in general be a poor experience. It is also another option for non-lethal self-defense. The effects are temporary, but are painful enough to deter and stall an attacker as the internal pepper compound takes a grip on them.
Is one better than the other? That is hard to say. They both have advantages, and they are both solid choices for self-defense. You can use and carry both. Sometimes it will be easier and more convenient to carry a small pepper spray unit. In other times, the Salt pepper spray gun may be a better option. When it comes to personal self-defense, there is no reason to limit yourself.
